'

But here, I presume, the thought of the added desolation of her Andrew
if she, too, were to forget him, as well as his Father in heaven,
checked the flow of her words. She paused, and Robert took up his
parable and went on, first with yet another question.

'Duv ye think, grannie, that a body wad be allooed to speik a word i'
public, like, there--at the lang table, like, I mean?'

'What for no, gin it was dune wi' moedesty, and for a guid rizzon? But
railly, laddie, I doobt ye're haverin' a'thegither. Ye hard naething
like that, I'm sure, the day, frae Mr. Maccleary.'

'Na, na; he said naething aboot it. But maybe I'll gang and speir at
him, though.'

'What aboot?'

'What I'm gaein' to tell ye, grannie.'

'Weel, tell awa', and hae dune wi' 't. I'm growin' tired o' 't.'

It was something else than tired she was growing.

'Weel, I'm gaein' to try a' that I can to win in there.'

'I houp ye will. Strive and pray. Resist the deevil. Walk in the licht.
Lippen not to yersel', but trust in Christ and his salvation.'

'Ay, ay, grannie.--Weel--'

'Are ye no dune yet?'

'Na. I'm but jist beginnin'.'

'Beginnin', are ye? Humph!'

'Weel, gin I win in there, the verra first nicht I sit doon wi' the lave
o' them, I'm gaein' to rise up an' say--that is, gin the Maister, at
the heid o' the table, disna bid me sit doon--an' say: "Brithers an'
sisters, the haill o' ye, hearken to me for ae minute; an', O Lord! gin
I say wrang, jist tak the speech frae me, and I'll sit doon dumb an'
rebukit. We're a' here by grace and no by merit, save his, as ye a' ken
better nor I can tell ye, for ye hae been langer here nor me. But it's
jist ruggin' an' rivin' at my hert to think o' them 'at's doon there.
Maybe ye can hear them. I canna. Noo, we hae nae merit, an' they hae nae
merit, an' what for are we here and them there? But we're washed clean
and innocent noo; and noo, whan there's no wyte lying upo' oursel's,
it seems to me that we micht beir some o' the sins o' them 'at hae
ower mony. I call upo' ilk ane o' ye 'at has a frien' or a neebor down
yonner, to rise up an' taste nor bite nor sup mair till we gang up
a'thegither to the fut o' the throne, and pray the Lord to lat's gang
and du as the Maister did afore 's, and beir their griefs, and cairry
their sorrows doon in hell there; gin it maybe that they may repent and
get remission o' their sins, an' come up here wi' us at the lang last,
and sit doon wi' 's at this table, a'